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U.S. forces struck four vessels allegedly trafficking narcotics in the eastern Pacific, killing 14 people and leaving one survivor, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on X. The three strikes, conducted in international waters, brought the death toll in President Trump’s campaign against alleged traffickers in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific to more than 50. Hegseth said search-and-rescue began immediately and Mexican authorities took over coordination; the survivor’s status is unclear. Trump, traveling in Asia, pledged to brief Congress without seeking a war declaration and suggested Venezuela land strikes could follow. Sen. Rand Paul called the airstrikes “extrajudicial killings.”

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.